A Sanford man who told police that his grandmother was killed while he and his friends robbed her for cocaine money pleaded no contest Friday to her murder.

Roosevelt Walker, 32, entered his plea after a judge refused to throw out Walker's confession, which was key evidence for prosecutors.

Minutes earlier, Seminole Circuit Judge O.H. Eaton Jr. also ruled that Walker, who was scheduled to stand trial Monday, could face the electric chair for the April 1987 death of 63-year-old Evelyn Graham.

Walker pleaded no contest to first-degree felony murder - a killing committed during the commission of another crime. In his confession, Walker told investigators that he and two friends planned to rob Graham for money to buy crack cocaine and were high on the drug at the time of the robbery.

But Walker insisted he did not kill his grandmother. He said he was in another room when he heard Graham scream and discovered her lying in a pool of blood. Confused and afraid, Walker said, he ran from the Oviedo home, which was set ablaze.

No one else was charged with the crimes. Seminole Assistant State Attorney Ralph Eriksson said prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence against Walker's two friends. Eriksson said he was pleased with the outcome of the case.

With his plea, Walker faces life in prison without chance of parole for 25 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

Defense attorney Russ McLatchey said Walker plans to appeal, based on the judge's decision to allow the confession as evidence.

Earlier this week, Walker told Eaton that Oviedo police officers pressured him into confessing. He said they kept him in a small meeting room at the Seminole County jail for almost nine hours until he agreed to make a recorded statement.

Walker said investigators upset him by showing him pictures of his dead grandmother and told him they would talk to the judge if he cooperated.

The police officers denied making any promises to help Walker.

Under the plea agreement, Walker will serve his sentence in the murder case while serving time for other offenses. In January he was sentenced to six years in prison for raping a woman and another six years for trafficking in stolen property.

Court records show Walker has a lengthy criminal record, including assault and battery charges filed against him on his 10th birthday.